Things I've Been Silent About is the second memoir from Azar Nafisi (
Reading Lolita in Tehran). This new memoir tells many of the personal details of her life. She was the daughter of powerful parents in Iran, her father was once mayor of Tehran and her mother was one of the first female members of the Iranian Parliament. Her parents' marriage was strained and her mother lived a life full of lies to cover her unhappiness, eventually turning that against her daughter. Her father, though, instilled in her a love of classic Persian literature and she, in turn, kept his secrets when he began to see another woman. When the Islamic Revolution swept across Iran, its repression and censorship was reminiscent of her mother's treatment, leading to her need to escape once more.
Things I've Been Silent About has received positive reviews with the Rocky Mountain News saying, "Nafisi's ability to draw upon literary history is what makes this book a standout. Her references to books, poems and cultural narratives fortify what is an already fascinating yarn."
